Nepal Women’s Cricket team returned to international cricket after almost six months, with their last assignment being the Women’s Asia Cup in July last year. It had also been nearly two and a half years since they last played a T20I series at home. In the recently concluded tri-series involving the Netherlands and Thailand—both ODI nations in women’s cricket and superior teams—Nepal suffered six consecutive losses.
What happened in the tri-series?
Nepal began with a 20-run loss and a 15-run loss against the Netherlands while chasing targets of 158 and 141, respectively, before enduring a 10-wicket thrashing in the third game. Against Thailand, Nepal fought hard despite posting only 101/9 in the first game. In the second match, Nepal suffered a painful 5-run loss while chasing 107. At one stage, Thailand were struggling at 34/5, but an unbeaten 50-run partnership for the seventh wicket helped them post a competitive total. Nepal failed to compete in the third game against Thailand, starting slowly in the powerplay (19/0) before eventually managing only 81/7. Thailand chased the target with three overs to spare.
Despite the six losses, Nepal showed improved batting performances, posting scores of 137/7, 125/8, and 145/4. However, they lacked a match-winning innings of 60 or 70 runs. There were 12 scores of 20-plus, but only one exceeded 40—Puja Mahato’s 62 off 51 balls in Nepal’s fifth game of the series. Most of these 20-plus scores had strike rates just above or below 100. Only Puja Mahato (24 off 14) and Kabita Joshi (27 off 17) managed a strike rate above 120 in the tournament.
What went wrong for Nepal?
Nepal struggled with strike rotation, failing to convert ones into twos, and lacked firepower at crucial moments. For instance, in one game against the Netherlands, Nepal failed to find the boundary for 45 consecutive deliveries. This contributed to a 15-run loss while chasing 141, despite Nepal pulling things back after conceding 85 runs in the first 10 overs.
Kabita Joshi was Nepal’s only reliable power-hitter, hitting at least one six in every match, including two in the first game. She nearly guided Nepal to victory against Thailand, reducing the equation to 15 off 8 balls. She excels at hitting fuller deliveries down the ground, and one six against Thipatcha Putthawong showcased her power and class.
Nepal also suffered a setback with the loss of premier all-rounder Kabita Kunwar in the second game. However, her absence provided an opportunity for young Rachana Chaudhary, who recently took part in the ICC Women’s U-19 World Cup in Malaysia. Though she picked up just one wicket in three outings, she showed potential in the first match. Manisha Upadhyaya was Nepal’s standout bowler, taking seven wickets in six games despite not being used in the first match.
Mamata Chaudhary, making her comeback after over two years, struggled with just 10 runs in four matches. She was the leading run-scorer in the recently concluded Women’s PM Cup at Falpa Ground. Her partner, Samjhana Khadka, fared slightly better but failed to replicate the potential she showed against UAE in the Asia Cup. She scored only 60 runs, with a highest score of 23.
Puja Mahato topped Nepal’s batting charts with 134 runs at a strike rate above 103, while Indu Barma scored 104 runs at a strike rate below 85. Unsurprisingly, Mahato was named Nepal’s best player in the series. Among the senior batters, Rubina Chhetri had a forgettable series with the bat, while Sita Rana Magar was demoted down the order after one innings at the top.
Areas of Concern
One major area where Nepal lagged behind both the Netherlands and Thailand was fielding and fitness. Captain Indu Barma has requested the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) to appoint a foreign coach and fitness trainer to address these issues. She also emphasized a lack of confidence compared to the other two teams.
While Thailand and the Netherlands also had occasional lapses in the field—dropping catches, bowling high full tosses, and misfielding—they made fewer mistakes overall. Their fielders were agile, ensuring Nepal was often restricted to singles when hitting to the deep, whereas Nepal conceded too many doubles. Nepal also struggled to take quick twos when batting, further limiting their scoring opportunities.
What’s Next?
Despite the setbacks, Nepal’s women’s team benefited from playing six matches against formidable associate teams, gaining much-needed exposure. CAN secretary and former Nepal men’s team captain Paras Khadka has assured more international matches for the women’s team. Since Nepal played their first T20I in 2019, they have played over 10 matches in a calendar year only three times. Comparatively, their Asian contemporaries—UAE (87), Hong Kong (80), and Malaysia (72)—have played significantly more matches than Nepal (64) since 2019.
As Nepal pushes for full-member status in the ICC, improving their women’s team’s international record will be crucial. Based on the recently concluded tri-series, Nepal has the potential to compete with and even defeat both Thailand and the Netherlands when playing at their best. Although Nepal has not beaten Thailand since 2011 and faced the Netherlands for the first time in this series, there is optimism that more matches and improved fielding will yield positive results shortly.
